Device for placing and removing electric-light bulbs.



IVI. W. ROZELLE 6I G. F. BIRMINGHAM. DEVICE FOR PLACING AND RENIovlNG ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZS. I9I5. RENEWED SEPT. I8. 1916.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

I IoI I,

II IInnII Mii MANSoN w. NozELLn AND GEORGE r. BIRIvIINeIIAr/r,l,or` KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR PLACING AND REMOVING E:lll-."1C'.IRIC-LIG'IIT` BULBS.

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Application led April 26, 1915, Serial No. 23,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MANSON W. ROZELLE and GEORGE F.'BIRMINGHAM7 citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Devices for Placing and Re moving ElectricLight Bulbs; and we do declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, Such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. y

Our invention relates to a device for placing and removing electric light bulbs, and has for its principal object to provide means whereby a bulb may be placed in its socket in a ceiling, or in a side wall at an elevation from the floor, and thereby obviate the necessity for the use of a ladder by the person placing or removing the bulb.

In accomplishing this object we have provided improved details of structure, the prejferred forms of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, "wherein Figure I is an elevation of a device comprising our improvements and indicating its use; the dotted lines Ashowing the arrangement of the device for placing or removing the side wall bulbs.- Fig. II is an enlarged longitudinal section of the bulb gripping end of the device. Fig-III is an enlarged longitudinal Section ofthe butt end of the device. Fig. IV is a detail perspective view of the arm socket block.

Referring more in detail to the parts, 1 designates a tubular shaft having` -a rod 2 extended therethrough andprovided at its outer end with a head 3 which terminates near the outer vend of the shaft and is provided with an open-end, Square socket 4.

Mounted within the shaft, at `the outer end thereof, is al barrel 6 having a central aperture 7 in its base 8 and provided with lateral pins 9 which project into the bayonet slots 10 that openfrom the end of the shaft 1, to removably `lock the barrel to the shaft Vwhen the parts are assembled. j

The outer end of the barrel is cupped to form a chamber 12 and seat 13, and located within and spaced from the cupped part is a block 14 having a base flange 15 at its inner end seated on the seat 13, so that the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 24, 1916.

Renewed September 18, 1916. Serial No. 120,886.

block and flange may rotate freely, but be held in the cupped part.

The head 14 has longitudinal grooves 16 1n its outer face that open through the outer end of the block and terminate at the iange, and is provided with sockets 17 at the inner ends of the grooves, for receiving the arm Shanks 18 and anchoring lips 20 respectively; thesdepth of the grooves and the thickness of the arm Shanks being equal so that when the arms are Seated in the grooves with their lips 2O in the sockets 17, the outer faces of the arms are flush with the outer face of the block. As the block is circular in cross section, the arm Shanks are curved io the same contour to insure the flush surace.

The block 14 is of suliiciently less diameter than the interior diameter of the chamber 12 to provide an annular space about the block, and the cupped part of the barrel is screw threaded to receive an anchoring collar 22, which is adapted to thread onto the cupped part and lill the annular Space and hold the arm shanks 18 lirmly to lthe block; the outer end lof thev collar having a flange 23 that lies over the end of the cupped part of the barrel and forms a handle member whereby the collar may be graspedhto place it in or remove it from the barrel..A Integral with and projecting from the shanks 18 are spring fingers 24, having bowed central portions 25 and flaring mouth ends 26 for projection over a lamp bulb from the end thereof and yieldingly gripping the bulb when the parts are in place; the inner faces of the spring fingers being lined with felt, or the like, 27, to afford a grip on the bulb without damaging the latter'.

Located adjacent the end of the block 14 is an. adjusting Spider 28 having slots 30 through which the spring fingers 24 are projected, and having a central aperture 31 for receiving.; a kSet screw 32, the lower end of which is threaded into an aperture 35 in the end of plug 14, and the head 33 being an- `chored in the spider by spaced collars 34, so that the set screw may be turned to move the spider outwardly or inwardly and thereby adjust the spread of the spring fingers.

The block 14 is provided with a central channel 36, and fixed in said channel socket is a flexible shaft 38 that extends through the barrel 6 and carries a bearing portion 39 that is revolubly mountedin the aperture 7 j its socket in thefhead 3 and for anchoring the Shaftto its barrel..

The inner' end oi the shaft l isprojected a intothe outer end of a tubular handle42 and is adapted for abutment against theend of a lining member 43 that is fixed within the handle to limit the projection of the shaft, and the said handle having at= its outer end a bayonet slot 44 for receiving a pin 45 vnear the end of the sha-ft, whereby the parts will be removably connected in the same. manner that the barre-l 6 is connected with the vouter end vof the shaft.

The inner end of the rod 2 is provided -with a round plug 46 that fits snugly within the inner end of the shaft lbut is adapted orrfree revoluble movement therein, and the inner end ofthe plug carries al squared shank 47 which projects through an aperture 4S in the outer closed end of the lining 43 so that it may seat in a squared socket 49 in the outerend of a handle shaft` 50 that is revolub'ly mounted within the lining the opposite end of the handle shaft being pro-` jectedvjthrough an. aperture jl in thelcvcl'osed end of Ithejhandle42 and providedjvithan exterior grip 52 whereby-thehandle .shaft may be. turned when the grippisirevolved. The handle shaft is also provided with `a collar 53 which is located between the end Aof the lining 43 and theclosed end of ,the handle A42,'in order to prevent longitudinal movement-of the handle shaft without inter.- fering with the free rotation thereotr.

In thepreferred construction, the barrel 6 is formed in two sections which are pivot- .ally connected together by a clamp screw which extends through registeringrapertures in collars 55k on the separate barrel sectionsso that the outer section of the barrel may beturnedto a desiredangle relative to thefinner section and locked in such adjusted position byv tightening of the clamp; the lexibleshaft 38 bending at the vangle at which the barrel members are turned in order to carry yrotation, from the handle rod to .the gripping fingers, and the sliding connection oty the shaft with the rod 2 providing for extension of the shaft when the outer member of the barrel is turned at an angle.

In yusing the-device, presuming the parts to be constructedand assembled as described, andrwith the spring lingers. spread ,to receive a lamp bulb of ordinary size, when the bulbs are to be placed in their sockets each bulb is first seated between the. spring ngers, so that the latter grip the sides thereof, so that the plug on the bulb is exposed at the ends of the lingers. The bulb may be carried to the socket so that the plug is proj ected into the latter, and when the plug is in proper position the bulb is turned to screw the plug to place in the socket; the turning movement being effected by the operator grasping the handle 42 in one hand and turning the grip 52 with the other hand, so that the sectional shaft is revolved through the shank and socket connections of the several pieces to revolve the spring fingers and turn the bulb.l y

Should it be necesary to use the device with a bulb of different size, the fingers may be spreador contracted by manipulation of the set screw to advance or withdraw the spider, vwherebyvthe fingers are moved toward or from each other.

When the device is to be used for removing the bulbs, the gripping fingers are moved over the bulb as the latter is held in its socket until the swell of the bulb seats within the concave portions of the ingers, where vit is held while the lingers are turned in a direction to unscrew the bulb from its socket, thefingersholding the bulb after it is removed from the socket and until it is withdrawn by the operator.

Vhen the device is to be used for removinga bulb from a side wall socket, the outer barrel section maybe .turned to the proper angle toplace or ltake the bulb; the ingers being lrevolved by manipulation of the grip the 'same' manner 'va s .for placing or remov ing a bulbfrom a ceiling socket, as the liexiblejshaft will turn the angle at the joint of the/ barrel` and will revolve the fingers .when the parts are in this position; the loose joint ofthe flexible shaft with its body member allowingl the shaft to be automatically extended when the barrel is turned at the angle.

Then the device is to be stored or shipped, the handle and barrel members may be removed from the body `at the bayonet joint; the inside shaft :sections pulling apart at the squaredshank and socket positions so that the several sections may be assembled in short lengths.

Having. thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

, l. The combination with a body member having a chamber at its outer end, a block rotatably mounted in the chamber and having longitudinal grooves therein, spring fingers'lying in the grooves and having their inner ends anchored to the block, and having their outer ends spaced to form a mouth, and means for rotating the block.

2. In a devicel of the character described,

1,202,432 :l il;

the combination with a body member having a cupped outer end forming a chamber having a base seat, a block, having longitudinal grooves, rotatable in the chamber and spaced from the body, a collar located between the body and block and attached to the body, and spring fingers seated in the block grooves within the collar.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a body member having a cupped outer end forming a chamber having a base seat, a block, having longitudinal grooves, and having inturned sockets at their lower ends, rotatable in the chamber and spaced from the body, a collar located between the body and block and attached to the body, and spring fingers seated in the block grooves within the collar, and having lips located in said sockets.

el. The combination with a body member having a block at its outer end, of arms mounted on and projecting from the block, a spider slidably mounted on said arms, and a set screw rotatably mounted on the spider and having threadedconnection with the block, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a body member having a block at its outer end, offfarms mounted on and projecting from the block, a spider slidably mounted on said arms, a set screw rotatably mounted on the spider and having threaded connection with the block, and means extending through the body member and connected with the block, for rotating the block, for the purpose set forth.

6. rThe combination witha body member, having a chamber at one end, of a block seated in said chamber, fingers carried by said block and projecting from the end of 4o the body member, and a collar interposed between the block and the chamber wall and secured to said wall, for the purpose set forth:

7. The combination with a body member, having a chamber at one end, of a block having an end flange seated in the bottom of said chamber, gripping lingers having shank portions lying along the block, and a collar interposed between the block and chamber wall and having threaded connection with the wall and abutment against the block flange, for the purpose set forth.

S. The combination with a body member, comprising a hollow shaft, of a barrel at one end of the shaft, a hollow handle at the opposite end of the shaft, a barrel having a closed inner end, the barrel comprising pivotally connected sections, one having a closed inner end, and lingers mounted at the end of the other section, a lining member in the handle part, a rod in said shaft having a socket in its outer end and having a squared shank at its inner end projected into the handle, a flexible shaft in said barrel, hav; ing connection at one end with the fingers and having a bearing portion at its opposite end provided with a squared shank, slidably mounted in the rod socket, and a grip having a handle shank projected into the tubular handle member, and having a socket in its inner end into which the squared shank of said rod is projected, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

MANSON W. ROZELLE. GEORGE F. BIRMINGHAM.

Uopies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

